Education for the driving [m]asses: Tip 131 - How to tow

Read your owner's manual and know how much your truck can tow before embarking on that trip through the mountains.
Photograph by : Dave Halliday, The Journal, File
Canwest News Service

Whether it's a small, eight-foot utility picking up supplies from the garden centre, a pop-up camper heading out for a family weekend, or a hauler for an aluminum fishing boat, sooner or later every vehicle needs a trailer hitch.

Here are a few tips to keep you and your trailer on the same path.

-Know your limits. more importantly, know your vehicle's. Ignoring the towing recommendations found in your owner's manual is a bad idea. Most subcompacts aren't even rated to tow anything, especially those with standard transmissions. And if you drag one into your dealership with a failed gearbox and a trailer hitch bolted to the rear, don't expect any warranty coverage.

-Get attached for good. Don't skimp on the trailer hitch. Most dealerships offer accessory hitches and wiring harnesses, either made or approved by the automaker. If you shop elsewhere, select well-known brands such as Reese, DrawTite, or Hidden Hitch. Remember your trailer's ball size(the dimension of the attaching point) to ensure you buy the right one. Check out the height that the tongue of the trailer needs to be at to stay level (the attaching draw bars are available in a wide variety of heights).

-Don't get shorted on the trailer wiring. With the increasing popularity of anti-lock brakes and vehicle lights controlled by on-board computers, cut-and-splice trailer wiring can cause problems. Most automakers make a true "plug and play" wiring harness for their products that can simply be plugged into tail-lamp sockets to provide compatible operation.

-Balance the load. Keep the majority of the weight on the trailer's axle(s). The downward weight on the hitch (known as tongue weight) should be no more than 10 per cent of the trailer's fully loaded weight. For a 2,000-pound unit, that means a tongue weight of 200 pounds(something a strong adult should be able to lift a few feet off the pavement). If your vehicle's rear end is sitting too low with the trailer attached, it will adversely affect the steering and braking.

-Practice makes perfect. Take a few short jaunts with a new trailer before hitting the highway. See how it affects the vehicle and its handling.

© The Edmonton Journal 2009Read more Education for the driving [m]asses: Tips